


Fever dreams

by Selestiles



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Sick Character, you know Steve from the 40s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 08:14:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18426591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selestiles/pseuds/Selestiles
Summary: Steve takes care of you while you are sick. You did the same for him a long time ago. (Also, I made this wayyy more complicated than I needed to but that was the original prompt.)





	Fever dreams

Steve remembers waking up  feeling like he was going to die.

His nose was stuffy and his throat was uncomfortably raspy. He swallowed hard and cringed at the scratch.

When Bucky had left the day before he had been fine. But now he felt awful. He grit his teeth when the sun filtering through the curtains made his head pound. Unable to get up, he covered his head with a groan and went back to sleep.

Maybe a few hours later, you came in, smiling sheepishly and carrying a bag of groceries.

“Sorry, I used the key under the brick, but only because you wouldn’t answer and I knew you were here, I got worried” Steve looked up at you dumbly, half delirious with fever, as you strode through his apartment as if it were your home. He ignored the flutter of his heart at the thought, it was probably the fever.

You had taken care of him then, made him warm soup and kept an eye on his fever so it wouldn’t get too bad. You were a great nurse.

And that’s why you went to war.

He had nothing left in Brooklyn after that. He had been able to rescue Bucky, that first time, but shortly after he found out you had been shot in the field, and you wouldn’t be coming home, to his apartment or otherwise.

Then he had lost Bucky, and flown a plane directly into the freezing ocean, and everything had gone to shit.

…

“We found her” Steve looked up from his paperwork, eyebrows raised at Natasha, who had strutted into his office already talking about something as if she was picking up on a previous conversation.

He rubbed a hand down his face tiredly. Couldn’t she wait until he at least finished his coffee?

“Remember the missing soldier from last year?” He nodded, looking at her through half closed eyes. She looked up at him and smirked knowingly.

“Jesus Cap, maybe you should go and take a nap and we can talk about this later. It’s only vital international business.” he grumbled at her, took a sip from his lukewarm coffee, and gestured for her to go on.

“Yeah, I remember that. You found her?” Natasha shifted her weight to one leg, hip jutting out as she pursed her lips and looked through the file she was carrying.

“Yup, she’s pretty, right?” She smiled brightly and slapped the file on his desk on top of the unfinished mission reports.

Steve lifted the coffee mug to his lips, then promptly choked on his sip when he saw the picture.

“What’s her name?” He breathed, his hands shaking and his breath caught in his lungs.

“Why, got a crush?” Natasha smirked playfully, wiggling her eyebrows “You know, personally I like Linda from accounting, y'know, the sane one, but if your type is…”

“What’s her name, Nat” he sounded gruff but dangerous, he knew those eyes, the shape of that mouth. He knew the name was in the file, but he couldn’t bring himself to read it.

Natasha straightened, squinting her eyes at Steve when she sensed the sudden shift in his tone.

“Y/N Y/L/N, she was captured by Hydra after being presumed dead from a shot wound”

…

How many people could say they had lost their best friend in the Second World War only to discover seventy years in the future that they had been brainwashed but alive, part of the Winter Soldier program this whole time?

Not many, he was sure.

It was weird that it had happened to him twice.

He hated every moment of getting you back, from finding you hiding out in Belgium (the old Y/N would have never approved of that apartment from hell), helping you remember your own name (you had gotten a haunted look then, “I don’t know her, did I kill her?”), to trying to dig into your brain to find a cure (you had screamed as soon as you were strapped into the chair, you had broken your own finger trying to get out and they had to knock you out to stop you from hurting yourself too much).

It had been hell, these past five months, but he had slowly noticed you becoming more yourself. You still had trouble remembering stuff, and you always looked exhausted. He wondered why Hydra had decided you were a good candidate for the program, when you looked as fragile as you did. Maybe that was exactly why.

You had started to talk a bit more, mostly to him (he suspected it had something to do with the knowledge he could take you down if he needed to). And he was glad that you seemed to be making progress. The flutters were back, and he could now recognize them for what they were, but he couldn’t possibly make a move on you, not while you were still like this.

Yesterday they had tried something new. They gave you a shot to lower your immune system, since the serum improved it so much, so they could take some samples and run some tests. (It was like two gallons, Steve, it hurt like hell) He was hopeful, maybe they would finally find a way to get you back for good. And if it worked for you, maybe it would work for Bucky as well, and they could finally wake him up from the cryo sleep.

…

The samples were still in the lab, and you were having a celebratory quiet day.

You and Steve had carried all the blankets and pillows to his room and built a nest on his bed, cuddling into it. You had planned to eat junk food and catch up on your list of movies, so you weren’t planning on leaving his bed at all.

It was weird, cuddling like this. Sure, you had hugged before, but human contact had been rare since you were captured by Hydra, and hugs since you were back were short and to the point. Plus there was the Cap factor. You knew this was still your Steve, but the fact that he was now three times his previous size and could surround you completely was jarring.

You made a face and laughed quietly as you cuddled into his side. He pressed play on the remote and the opening credits of Star Wars showed on the screen.

You whispered commentary occasionally as you watched the movie, you had already finished a bag of popcorn and half a bag of chips by the time the second movie started playing. You shivered and made grabby hands at Steve so he would get back to the comfortable warmth of the nest. He chuckled and snuggled next to you, kissing the top of your head absently before settling back down.

You tensed suddenly, immediately forcing your muscles to relax. You resisted the urge to look up at him. He hadn’t seemed to notice and you didn’t want him to.

It hit you suddenly how much you were acting like a couple. And how much this looked like a date. You decided to ignore it. You were not normal people, and this wasn’t a normal situation, you had always been protective of each other, and you knew you both needed positive human contact. Maybe he had just slipped, so you wouldn’t mention it.

Instead you pulled up one of the thick blankets and tucked it tightly around you, you were feeling drowsy and the night was getting chilly.

In the span of an hour, you had managed to turn yourself into a bundle of shivering blankets. Steve was still hugging you, but he couldn’t feel you trembling underneath the thick layer of blankets and covers, your eyes were burning, and you thought maybe it was because you had kept your eyes on the television for too long.

It wasn’t until your teeth started to chatter that he noticed something was wrong. He looked at you for a few long seconds, but you ignored him. Jesus, you were cold as hell.

“You alright?” You nodded, but he was unconvinced. “Jus’ cold”, you relented, Steve frowned and pressed his hand to your forehead. It felt like ice against your skin and you closed your eyes at the feeling.

“God dammit Y/N, you’re burning up” you blinked up at him blearily. “I am?” He pressed his hand to one cheek and then the other, wincing.

“I think you might be getting sick” you frowned at that, you couldn’t be sick, you hadn’t been sick in more than eighty years. “‘Mnot sick” As if to prove you wrong, your head started pounding as soon as you said that and you groaned. “Okay, maybe I’m sick”

“We need to get your temperature down, I should probably call Dr. West, 'cmon, covers off” he started wrestling the blankets from around you and you fought him weakly, whining like a child.

He finally managed to get them off you, and the sudden cold bit your skin so harshly that you yelped. You were  _freezing_.

“Yes, hello, Dr. West?” You groan “no, she has a fever” he hums and you try to take the blankets back while he’s distracted, but he throws them to the corner of the room. You fall back to the bed face first, groaning pitifully. “Should I take her….okay, yeah, that makes sense. Thank you, I’ll call you if anything changes.”

He breathes out a chuckle as he takes you in, face smushed into the mattress and groaning dramatically, his hands are on his hips and you hear the smirk in his voice when he speaks again.

“Dr. West said this might happen. They lowered your immune system, so now you’re sick.”

“Great” you mumble. “I feel like shit.”

There’s a moment of silence as Steve considers the situation, then he leaves the room. You assume he left to go get the doctor, or maybe a thermometer, but after about ten minutes you start to think he just left you alone to die.

In the time he’s been gone you have gotten worse. Your head is pounding and your vision is blurry, you feel hot and cold simultaneously and you feel half delirious.

You hear the door open and close, but it sounds muffled, like you’re underwater. You don’t bother moving.

You feel a cool hand touch your forehead and you hum. Your eyes are closed, but you hear someone move across the room to the bathroom. The door opens and you hear the tap running. The footsteps are back and then you feel a damp cloth been pressed to your forehead. You hum again.

You think it’s Steve, but you only know for sure it’s him when he climbs back on the bed, cuddling up behind you.

His scent surrounds you and you sluggishly move so that your face in against his chest. Your breathing is deep and heavy against him, you feel him sigh in worry and you feel his arm come around you and pull you tightly to him.

It all feels like a dream afterwards, sometimes he is cuddled up against you, with you mumbling nonsense into his side. Other times, the cold bites at your skin as he gets up to replace the damp cloth, which heats up quickly against your burning skin.

You hear him murmuring from time to time, asking questions or just talking. And you try to answer him whenever you can.  _Are you feeling better? Do you need another towel? Covers on or off? Do you want something for your headache?_

Sometime later, you’re guessing maybe a few hours considering the soft light that has started to filter in from the windows, your fever breaks. You feel weird and mushy still, but you know that your body heals faster so you’ll feel better in no time.

You don’t say a thing though, just breathe a sigh into Steve’s neck and revel in the way he shivers. You think maybe he’s asleep, but then he shifts and his face is right there.

Neither of you move, just stare at each other, silent and unmoving. His eyes are really blue.

“You’re a good nurse” you say, your voice is hoarse.

“Thank you” he says, his smile is soft and shy, and your heart lurches.

“Thank you for taking care of me” you think maybe you should pull away.

“It’s no problem” he pulls you closer.

He kisses your forehead before wriggling a bit. You wait a minute and then hear his breathing change and deepen.

Well then. You kiss him tenderly on the cheek before laying back down in his arms and relaxing into his hold.

You miss his blush and hopeful smile, because you’re already asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on Tumblr @soopranatural


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